Comparing e-CBM for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students to Academic Progress and Standardized Achievement

Abstract

For decades, researchers and educators have been concerned about reading achievement of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students (Lange, Lane-Outlaw, Lange, & Sherwood, 2013). Academic performance scores among Deaf students is below that of their hearing counterparts, especially in literacy (Anita, Jones, Reed, & Kreimeyer, 2009). Traxler (2000 found that, on average, DHH students graduating high school read at approximately a fourth-grade level. In 2015, only 36% of DHH students met or exceeded grade level expectations in reading on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, compared to 59.6% of all students (Minnesota Department of Education, 2016). Lange et al. (2013) reported that only 41% of the DHH students achieved average or above on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP; NWEA, 2013) assessment, compared to 66%, the national norm for hearing students.Curriculum-based measurements (CBM; Deno, 1985;2003), consist of standardized procedures designed to probe students' academic achievement in reading. Studies over two decades conclude that CBM assessment probes generate valid and reliable data (e.g., Campbell, Espin, & McMaster, 2013;Fuchs, Fuchs, & Hamlett, 1989;Hasbrouck & Tindal, 1992) that reflects students' general performance in reading, written expression, and mathematics. When results are used to inform instruction, ongoing assessment using CBM has a positive impact on instruction and produces higher learning rates when teachers frequently monitor students' progress. (Espin, McMaster. Rose, & Wayman, 2012; National Center on Student Progress Monitoring, 2016; Stecker, Fuchs, & Fuchs, 2005).Two CBM tasks, Slash (Rose, McAnally, Barkmeier, Virnig, & Long, 2008) and Maze (Rose, Cheng, Barkmeier, & Long, 2006) were used for this study. Slash measures the student's comprehension of vocabulary in the context of controlled linguistic structures bridging the gap between isolated word recognition and comprehension. Maze is a general outcomes measure of students' silent reading fluency and comprehension. Research QuestionsWe sought to answer two primary research questions: 1. How well do CBM outcomes on a computerized progress monitoring system align with standardized reading achievement data for DHH students? 2. To what degree did the progress monitoring system promote academic achievement in reading in individual DHH students enrolled in a dual-language (ASL and English) program? Method Data for this study were collected as part of a federally-funded project. The researchers' university gave IRB approval. Parents gave passive informed consent for their child's participation. Avenue PMAvenue PM (Ave: PM), an online progress monitoring system, was designed to target the specific needs of DHH students. It allows teachers to monitor the general literacy achievement progress of their students efficiently, effectively, frequently, and reliably. A gamification aspect draws students' attention, encouraging engagement and effort. Graphic data displays allow teachers and parents to track students' general academic readin...